We all are one in mission

 By Rev. Emily Johnson, pastor at Christ Lutheran, Louisville, NE

We all are one in mission,
We all are one in call,
Our varied gifts united
By Christ, the Lord of all.


 
So starts the hymn by Rusty Edwards (ELW 576), which starts playing in my head (which frequently transitions to singing out loud) whenever we start talking about “being one” in church circles. This is a good soundtrack to accompany such a discussion, as it hits the main points, that it is Christ who unites, calls, and sends us even as it is Christ who gives each of us different gifts and ways for living out the mission. This last point is fleshed out in the second verse:
 
Our ministries are different; 
Our purpose is the same:
To touch the lives of others
With God’s surprising grace,
So every folk and nation
May feel God’s warm embrace.
 
Unity resides in a commonality of purpose and oddly enough, this requires a diversity of skills and approaches. As part of my call I get to teach confirmation, one of the things I love about it is getting to know the class each year because they are each so different. I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to teach the same material to each class; some like reading and reflecting, some like getting out of their seats and acting out the Bible stories with their bodies, some will ask all the questions and others will keep their questions to themselves. They are each different, yet each year the goal is the same, for them to feel the warm embrace of God, to build community, and to learn about the Bible and the catechism. 
 
The Church is the same way, each congregation and congregation member is different. Some like a more contemplative approach, some like to get their hands dirty while serving, some even like moving their bodies as part of worship and yet each is an expression of the same community. This is the grace of God, that we can be different in method and united in purpose, so that we can sing loudly and truthfully, We all are one.

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